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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23841211">am i falling in love with the one that could break my heart?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortunehasgivenup/pseuds/fortunehasgivenup'>fortunehasgivenup</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>prompt fills [19]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Girls (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Relationship, Established Relationship, F/M, Future Fic, Love Confessions, Prompt Fill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:55:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,857</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23841211</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortunehasgivenup/pseuds/fortunehasgivenup</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth's not dating anyone. She's certainly not dating Rio, despite the fact that they're sleeping together, have drawers at each other's places, and go out to eat together regularly.</p>
<p>Alright, she might be dating Rio.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beth Boland/Rio</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>prompt fills [19]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608919</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>357</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>am i falling in love with the one that could break my heart?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>bathroombreaks said:<br/>very specific prompt bc now that i've thought of it, i /need/ it and i've already sent you so many, what's not one more: in a future where business is booming + beth is divorced and fucking rio on the dl, her kids are invited to a bday party, where she finds out rio is the kid's uncle and for some reason she has a talk with his sister about how hard dating is when you're in your 40s/have kids and rio is listening and realises he somehow forgot to actually ask her out, which he ofc has to rectify</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Beth collapsed forward onto the bed, face buried in a mountain of pillows, panting.</p>
<p>“You okay?” Rio teased, smacking her ass, but then ducking down to kiss the same spot right after.</p>
<p>Beth groaned.</p>
<p>“Gonna need that in English, Elizabeth.”</p>
<p>She rolled onto her back. “I’m good.”</p>
<p>Rio finished tucking himself back into his pants. “Sorry for the quickie, but I really do need to get to that meet.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Beth mumbled. “I arranged it for you, remember?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Rio said, grabbing his jacket, “you haven’t let me forget.”</p>
<p>Beth smiled into his lips when he bent to kiss her goodbye and she grabbed his hand. “Be good,” she warned.</p>
<p>“What’ll you do to me if I’m not?” Rio asked, bent in half over her.</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes and let him go, watching as he slipped out the back. Turning her head to check the clock, she forced herself to get up out of bed. It would be time for school pick-up soon and she didn’t exactly want to show up smelling like sex and Rio. She rushed through a shower, not bothering to shampoo her hair, but making sure to check that Rio hadn’t left any visible hickeys on her. He had a <i>habit</i>.</p>
<p>Pouring herself a coffee into a travel mug, her eyes caught on the newest photo of the family. It had been Annie’s idea - a picture of Beth and the kids at the house without Dean - and it had turned out beautifully. She’d managed to get all the kids into blue and they were sitting together on the stairs, ringed around Beth.</p>
<p>They’d taken some more posed ones as well, which had gone out to aunts and uncles, grandparents, but this had been Beth’s favourite. Jane was wrapped around her, little face propped up on Beth’s shoulder while Emma set between Beth’s knees and the boys leaned on her. They were all laughing at a bad joke that Annie had told them.</p>
<p>When she’d put it up, Rio had chuckled. “Celebrating that divorce?”</p>
<p>Beth had blushed. She had celebrated the divorce plenty and he knew it. He’d been there for all of it.</p>
<p>Touching the frame, Beth headed out, waving to Mrs. Karpinski on her way down the street. Apparently Mick’s brief stint as Beth’s babysitter had endeared her to the older woman, although Beth wasn’t sure if Mrs. Karpinski maybe just wanted Mick to start visiting again.</p>
<p>The pick-up line was just as hectic as always. Beth wasn’t sure how the school had been doing this for decades and still didn’t have a better system set up. But it was a nice day, so she rolled down her windows to get some fresh air. Her eyes slipped shut as the breeze blew over her and when she opened them, Greg - Tacy’s dad - was standing right there.</p>
<p>Beth shrieked, drawing attention from several other parents. </p>
<p>“Sorry!” Greg said, holding up his hands. “Thought you saw me.”</p>
<p>Beth forced herself to smile and not think about the fact that she had very, very briefly wished that she had a gun in the car. “Hi Greg.”</p>
<p>“Hi Beth,” Greg replied. “I won’t take up too much of your time. I was just -“ he shuffled a bit, almost like he was nervous. “Would you like to go out some time?”</p>
<p>She stared at him. </p>
<p>Was he…asking her on a date?</p>
<p>“No,” she said without needing to think about it.</p>
<p>Greg’s face fell a little. “Are you seeing somebody?”</p>
<p>What business was that of his? </p>
<p>“I’m just not interested in a relationship right now,” she told him. Unless it was with Rio, then she’d consider it. Although that would actually require him, you know, asking her out. Meeting her kids as her boyfriend, not just Marcus’ dad. “I’m focusing on myself and the kids.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” Greg said, nodding. “Uh, have a good day.”</p>
<p>He turned and walked back to his car, leaving Beth feeling like she’d been rude or something. </p>
<p>It annoyed her all evening, lifting only briefly when Rio messaged to say that the meeting had gone well, and into the next morning as she got Jane ready to go to a birthday party that was being held by the new boy in her class.</p>
<p>“Honey, please don’t,” Beth scolded when she saw Jane eyeing a plate of treats that she was planning to bring. “You just have to wait a little bit longer and then I’m sure that Johnny’s mom has more stuff too.”</p>
<p>“Like box cake?” Jane asked. She’d developed an obsession with it recently. Beth was trying to remember that it wasn’t an insult towards Beth’s baking, but it was difficult when all Jane wanted was a Duncan Hines sheet cake with frosting from a jar.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure,” she settled on responding. “But how about you run and get Johnny’s present from my bed.”</p>
<p>Jane took off, coming back with the brightly coloured box. “Can we go now?”</p>
<p>“Five more minutes.” </p>
<p>It wound up being closer to ten since Dean called to ask a question about Emma’s social studies project. Beth could see Jane getting more and more frustrated and she wasn’t far behind. </p>
<p>“It says in the assignment packet, Dean,” Beth sighed, gathering up Jane’s hands before they could slide under the Saran Wrap covering the tray. “Look, I’m taking Jane to her party now. If we need to, we can talk about this later, when I drop Jane off. I’ll see you later.”</p>
<p>She hung up and let go of Jane to pick up the tray. “Okay, ready.”</p>
<p>“Finally,” Jane sighed, already wearing her shoes. Beth slipped into a pair of flats and walked with Jane to the car.</p>
<p>It was still an exciting new purchase - the Cadillac. She and Dean had quickly realized that whoever had the kids needed the van, so they’d taken to swapping it back and forth, each of them driving their own car the rest of the time. She settled Jane in the back, with the gift and tray of treats.</p>
<p>“No snacking,” she reminded Jane.</p>
<p>“I know,” Jane said, raising her right hand. “I solemnly swear.”</p>
<p>“Have you been watching Law and Order again?” Beth asked, tucking Jane’s hair back.</p>
<p>Jane nodded. “With Aunt Annie. She says I gotta know my rights if the cops ever pick me up. Why would they pick me up?”</p>
<p>Beth closed the back door with a groan. She and Annie needed to have another talk about what was appropriate entertainment for a seven year old.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Jane seemed to have entirely forgotten her question in favour of asking Beth to play “the good music, please.” </p>
<p>Johnny didn’t live too far away, so they only got through a song and a half before pulling up in front of the address that Beth had been given.</p>
<p>Jane nearly bolted for the house once Beth opened the car door, but Beth took her hand. “We have to be careful, Jane,” she reminded her. “Can you take the present?”</p>
<p>They got across the road without mishap and the front door was already opening when they got to the front walkway.</p>
<p>“Jane!”</p>
<p>Beth was surprised to see Marcus in the doorway, waving at them.</p>
<p>“Marcus!” Jane hollered right back, tugging on Beth’s hand. “You’re at Johnny’s party!”</p>
<p>Johnny shoved into the doorway too and now that the two of them were standing next to each other, Beth could see a bit of a resemblance between the two boys.</p>
<p>“Marcus is my cousin,” Johnny said. “Jane is in my class at my new school.”</p>
<p>“Happy birthday,” Jane greeted him, shoving the present at him. Johnny took it with a happy grin.</p>
<p>“Hi Mrs. Boland,” Johnny said to Beth. “My mom is in the -“</p>
<p>“I’m right behind you,” Johnny’s mother, Carla came up behind him, “wondering why you opened the door even though you aren’t supposed to.”</p>
<p>“Marcus did it,” Johnny immediately sold out his cousin, making Beth laugh. Before they could get too caught up in any kind of argument, Beth stepped forward. </p>
<p>“I brought some extra treats. Where would you like me to put them?”</p>
<p>As Beth unwrapped the tray in the kitchen, she let her curiosity get the better of her. “Marcus and Johnny are cousins?”</p>
<p>Carla looked up from a mountain of cut fruit. “Yeah. How does Jane know Marcus?”</p>
<p>“The park,” Beth replied, not making eye contact.</p>
<p>“With Rhea or Cris?” </p>
<p>“Both.”</p>
<p>Carla nodded and went back to cutting strawberries. “Cris’ my brother.”</p>
<p>“Which one of you is older?” Beth asked, hoping that the question came off as nonchalant. </p>
<p>“Him, unfortunately,” Carla laughed. </p>
<p>“Unfortunately?” Beth said. “That sounds like there’s a story there.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Carla scoffed, “several. Believe me, he took his big brother duties way too seriously when I was a teenager. I was pretty sure I was going to die without ever kissing a boy.”</p>
<p>Beth laughed with her, but her thoughts went to Annie and how she’d tried to deal with her own rambunctious little sister.</p>
<p>“Still, it’s not all bad,” Carla admitted. “He got rid of my ex fast enough.”</p>
<p>Beth glanced at her.</p>
<p>“He was a dick,” Carla said. “Cheated on me. Cris found out, got me a good divorce lawyer, then convinced me to move out to the suburbs. It’s good though, for Johnny, I think.” She smiled towards the living room, where Johnny and the slowly growing group of kids was gathering. “Even if the single men are lacking.”</p>
<p>“Oh god,” Beth groaned. “Don’t remind me.”</p>
<p>“That’s right, you’re divorced too.” Carla leaned a little closer to Beth. “Do they all just give off this air of “please come mother my children when I’ve got them because I don’t know how to be a father” or is that just me?”</p>
<p>“It’s not just you,” Beth replied. “It’s either that or acting like they’re doing <i>you</i> a favour. Like you have the time to sit around a wish that you had a man in your life.”</p>
<p>“Even if I did have that time,” Carla said, “I would not be using it for that. I could do so much with that time. Go get a massage. A manicure. Read a book written for people over the age of ten.”</p>
<p>Beth laughed. She’d only met Carla a couple of times at the school, but she liked the other woman.</p>
<p>“Well,” Beth said, “there’s no single men present, but you should come by one night for some wine and reality TV with me and some friends.”</p>
<p>Carla smiled at her. “I’d like that.”</p>
<p>“What do you like?” a familiar deep voice came from behind them seconds before Carla threw her elbow back. “Ow!”</p>
<p>Beth turned to see Rio rubbing his chest. </p>
<p>“Was just trying to hug my baby sister,” he said with a frown. </p>
<p>“You were gonna pick me up,” Carla snapped. </p>
<p>“Maybe,” Rio shrugged. “Hello, Elizabeth.”</p>
<p>“Cris,” Beth greeted him sweetly. He grinned at her, then reached out and snagged a cookie from her tray. “Hey!”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” he said, shoving the cookie in his mouth as he walked away.</p>
<p>Beth glared after him for a moment and when she turned back to Carla, Rio’s sister was studying her carefully. “You know,” Carla said, “my brother’s single.”</p>
<p>Beth’s cheeks turned a flaming red, but was saved by some shrieks. Their attention snapped to the kids, including Topher, who seemed to have brought his pet snake to the party.</p>
<p>By the time they’d dealt with the snake and calmed down the kids who had been terrified, their conversation was forgotten.</p>
<p>At least, that’s what Beth thought until Rio showed up at her house that night.</p>
<p>“Don’t you have Marcus tonight?” she asked when he stepped into her kitchen.</p>
<p>He shook his head, then rounded the island to stand behind her. “He’s having a sleepover with his cousin tonight.”</p>
<p>“Ah,” Beth hummed, tilting her cheek for a hello kiss. Rio kissed the offered skin, but took her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him. “Who would have thought we’d have to deal with a snake emergency today?”</p>
<p>Rio laughed, but her comment didn’t deter him from leaning down to kiss her lips.</p>
<p>“You know,” he said after he’d straightened back up, his hands coming down onto the counter on either side of Beth’s magazine, “it came to my attention today that I’d made a pretty fucking serious oversight.”</p>
<p>Beth’s mind immediately starts racing, trying to figure out where he might have made such an oversight. “With the Tyler order?” she asked.</p>
<p>“No.” He sounded amused and Beth met his eye. He was grinning too.</p>
<p>“Where?” she asked. “How serious? Like unfixable, we’ve burned all bridges?”</p>
<p>“Like you think we’re not together,” Rio said.</p>
<p>That response threw Beth.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Heard you talking to Carla this afternoon,” Rio said, moving away long enough to grab another stool and pull it close, “‘bout trying to date. And I was thinking to myself, why would Elizabeth be thinking about the single men available, and it hit me. She doesn’t think we’re together.”</p>
<p>“We aren’t together,” Beth responded.</p>
<p>He looked down at her. “You sleeping with anyone else?”</p>
<p>Beth snorted. “Like I’ve got time for that - between the kids, business, and you, I’m run off my feet.”</p>
<p>“We’ve got drawers at each other’s places,” he said.</p>
<p>“Because there’s only so many times that I was willing to do emergency loads of laundry so that we didn’t have to wear dirty underwear home.”</p>
<p>Rio opened his mouth, closed it again.</p>
<p>“It’s not like we go out,” Beth said with a shrug. “It’s just sex.”</p>
<p>“Are you serious?” Rio was looking at her with a disbelieving expression. “We go out to eat together at least once a week.”</p>
<p>“That’s work.”</p>
<p>“You think I’m taking Mick out to lunch?” Rio asked. “Asking Bullet to meet up and try out a new restaurant?”</p>
<p>“I ask Annie and Ruby to do that kind of thing all the time,” Beth retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.</p>
<p>“Oh, now you think I’m one of your sisters, huh?” He reached forward and set his hand on her waist. “Elizabeth, admit it, we’re dating.”</p>
<p>“Only you,” Beth uncrossed her arms long enough to jab Rio in the chest, “would make this sound like a negotiation. Admit it, Rio, you’ve never asked me out. Meaning that we’re not dating.”</p>
<p>“You seriously just think that we’re fuck buddies?” Rio’s expression shifted towards anger, although Beth could hear the hurt in his voice. “You think that there’s anyone else that I go to when I’ve just had to deal with a rotten egg? You think there’s ever been anyone who does that for me?”</p>
<p>Beth looked down, heart racing at the reminder of how Rio got after dealing with anything like that. He’d show up or ask him to go to his place and he always looked a little bit fragile, but only for a second, before getting the both of them naked. He started out wanting it hard and fast, but as the night wore on, making her come with his hands and mouth and cock, he’d slow down, start worshiping her until what they were doing could only be described as making love. Then he’d fall asleep with his ear pressed to her heart. He’d be extra gentle in the morning, make her breakfast in bed.</p>
<p>“No,” she admitted.</p>
<p>“You go to anyone else when you need reminding of how strong you are?” he asked, hands coming to her cheeks. “When you’re frustrated with everything and you just need your head to be quiet?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“You tell anyone else you love them?” Before Beth could say yes, she did, often, he clarified. “When they’re inside of you?”</p>
<p>She shivered at the reminder of last week, when he’d come by late and crawled into bed with her, tugged her pajama pants down and pushed inside of her. It has just slipped out at one point, when she’d been close to coming. </p>
<p>“Thought you didn’t hear that,” she mumbled.</p>
<p>“Didn’t want to spook you,” Rio said, directing her face upwards. “You seemed like you needed some time. I do too, you know. Love you.”</p>
<p>Beth’s eyes widened and she let out a little gasp. “Really?”</p>
<p>His grin was softer now as he set their foreheads together. “Yes, Elizabeth, really.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>“Now,” he said, “how about we go to bed and we can talk about what the hell kind of date will actually count to you in the morning.”</p>
<p>Beth giggled. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>He nodded and kissed her, preventing either of them from saying anything else.</p>
<p>——————————————</p>
<p>“Rio and I are dating,” Beth announced to Ruby and Annie when they came over for coffee a few days later.</p>
<p>The two of them exchanged looks, then turned to Beth.</p>
<p>“We noticed,” Ruby said. “Like, months ago.”</p>
<p>Annie nodded. “Is this supposed to be brand new information to us?”</p>
<p>Beth stared at the two of them. “We weren’t dating until a few days ago.”</p>
<p>There was silence, then Ruby groaned.</p>
<p>Annie propped her chin on her hand and sighed. “And people think you’re the smart one?" She shook her head. "You disgust me.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In an attempt to make myself write things that aren't always 10k+, I've been taking prompts. They will all be unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine and I'll be uploading them as a series rather than chapters because seeing that 1/? is stressful. If there's anything that you should be warned for, please let me know. Title from Dua Lipa's Break My Heart.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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